Issues related to central banks feature regularly in economic news coverage, and in times of economic or financial crisis, especially when a commercial bank is bailed out, they become the focus of the policy debate. But what role do central banks play in a modern economy? How do central banks...

1. Introduction -- 2. Theoretical Framework: Identifying Central Banks' Two-Tier Relationship -- 3. The Global Financial Crisis: The Challenge for Central Banks -- 4. US Federal Reserve System and the Global Financial Crisis -- 5. Bank of England and the Global Financial Crisis -- 6. Bank of...